The video source could be from: a
telecine, a
video tape recorder (VTR), a
motion picture film scanner,
virtual telecine or a
direct-to-disk recording (DDR) or the older system called a
film chain. A high end
broadcast color suite may use a
Da Vinci Systems or
Pandora International color corrector. If a VTR is the source for the video the room is often called a
tape to tape suite. Many suites are designed to operate as a telecine suite or a tape to tape suite by changing the configuration of the suite. The operator of the suite is usually called a
Colorist. If a telecine is the source this is called a
Film to Tape operation. A color suite may use one
video standard or be able to change configuration to a number of standards like:
high-definition video,
NTSC, or
PAL or a
DI workflow. Color suites are sometime placed in
digital cinema movie theaters with a
video projector for color correction to that
display format. The suite room will also have equipment in the
production control room for monitoring the video signal such a
video monitor,
waveform monitor and
vectorscope. The suite may have an either a
non-linear editing system (NLE) or
linear editing system to control the source and record device. This may be internal to the color grading device, as in a Pandora's Pogle or Da Vinci's 2k or external, as in Da Vinci's TLC (telecine controller). A
vision mixer may also be in the suite for monitoring different video sources or for simple or
special effects in the video. A
character generator is sometime used also for titling and
subtitle. The suite may have equipment to read, log and insert into the video Kodak's
Keykode. Keykode is bar coding that is placed at regular intervals on negative films to aid in identifying and counting of film frames. Evertz,
Aaton and
ARRI are three types of readers for telecine use. The suite may or may not have
audio post production equipment. This would be to monitor and if needed sync up the
program audio to the video source if the sound was not on
the film. An audio
mixing console and other
audio equipment such as effects devices may also be in the suite. The audio may be from the
film soundtrack. The term
MOS is used, on a
slate, when a scene is filmed without sync sound or any sound. A clapperboard slate is used at the start and sometime at the end of scene to mark particular takes recorded during a production. Other equipment that may be used in the suite are: digital still store\
Frame grabber to store references frames,
noise reducer to reduce film grain/dirt and
video noise;
video router and
audio router. The telecine, VTRs and some of the larger equipment are often placed in a
central apparatus room or
machine room and are interconnected through
Cable trays or
raised floor to the color suite by
patch panels,
coaxial cables,
computer network and
multicore cables. Some color suites are at video post production facilities that rent them by the hour for the transfer of
TV commercials,
documentaries and
movies. These color suites would have a client area behind the colorist. With the
client present this would be called a supervised session. Film Deck, Lens Gate and Local Control Panel Image:Da Vinci Impresario - control panel.jpg|Da Vinci Systems, Joy ball
control panel Image:Cc2kdui.JPG|Da Vinci Systems, 2k
GUI Display in a 19-inch rack. == See also ==